


Smarter Than I Think

by JustSmileStuffHappens (ksz13)



Series: Buddie / 9-1-1 Prompt Fills [69]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: College, Crushes, Friendship, M/M, Mathematics, Minor Original Character(s), Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Pining, Secrets, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:40:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28509819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ksz13/pseuds/JustSmileStuffHappens
Summary: *Prompt: The team gets a call out to one of LA's universities, some chemical fire in the science department. As they are cleaning up, Buck notices this chalkboard with some insane math or physics problem on there. Buck pulls a Good Will Hunting and writes down the correct answer and then runs off to rejoin the firefam. What Buck doesn't notice is that one of the students who was standing close by recorded Buck solving the problem. The clip goes viral and Eddie gets very hot under the collar*
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Buddie / 9-1-1 Prompt Fills [69]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1582147
Comments: 1
Kudos: 271





	Smarter Than I Think

**Author's Note:**

> Idk. I'm go over this later but I gotta go. Bye

**_Smarter Than You Think_ **

"I'm betting five." Hen said.

"Nah. I'll go with seven." Chim replied back to her over the radio.

"What are you two talking about?" Bobby asked as they made their way to the campus.

"How many numbers Buck and Eddie are gonna refuse." Hen laughed back.

"Chim's been upping his weights. He better not get any ideas." Buck said back.

"That's enough people. We're close." Bobby shook his head from his place in front.

Buck and Eddie avoided eye contact for a second before collecting themselves.

The girls on campus skewed younger. 

Neither of them were really looking for flings.

What would they even have in common?

They had plenty of baggage.

Things were fine now.

"I would never do that to Maddie." Chim said faintly as they got out of the vehicles. 

"I know." Buck said as they hurried towards the evacuated wing. 

Bobby started directing them on the hose with the others as Chim and Hen joined another ambulance in treating the injured. It took a solid half hour to get the fire under control and then put out. 

Thankfully aside from damage to property there were no fatalities. Some would need to be treated at the hospital though.

Sure enough Eddie did get some girls trying to give him their number only the professor was trying to flirt with Chimney while he and Hen tried to escort them to another ambulance that was ready to take them away.

Buck got a few looks but no one actually approached him though.

Bobby sent Buck and Eddie in to check on the fire's origin. 

The professor had said a student had been mishandling their experiment and causing the accident. There would be an internal review to decide the students scholarly fate.

The main room was wrecked. The adjacent ones weren't too far off but structurally the building would be able to be repaired over the next year.

"I kinda feel bad for the guy." Buck said as they made their way through the building.

"His accident hurt people Buck." Eddie shook his head as they passed another room.

He marked the door. 

"Yeah. I said kinda. It wasn't right either way. Shouldn't have been playing around, coulda been worse." Buck said to Eddie's back. 

Eddie turned back after a minute of silence from Buck. It wasn't normal for the other to be silent.

"You oka-?"

"Eddie. Buck. You guys good?" Bobby's voice came through.

"Yeah Cap. Last room. Place was made right. Repairs are gonna be awhile but looks to be safe. The source isn't reactive anymore." Buck replied.

"Done Cap. We're coming out."

They regrouped and teased Chim for the lady who was so forward in her flirtation.

"When is Maddie gonna bring some wine over so we can get drunk?" Hen said, giving him a look at the memory of Karen.

"I'm gonna make sure she knows that's not happening. But you two can still have drinks. It just won't be about that." Chim shot back as they took off.

-

The next day Chimney's professor showed with a colleague at the station.

"Ma'am, he's happily with my sister." Buck cut off her gaze.

"Oh. You don't have to worry. I can take a hint. Shame though, he's so handsome. I'm just here to make sure Greg doesn't scare off a potential student." 

That for a look of confusion from both him and Eddie where they stood before the clean engine.

"You completed a problem on my board. Every day I have one put up as a challenge. Any student who can complete it gets extra credit and also a recommendation letter from me." The guy looked to be a little younger than Bobby. 

"We what now?" Eddie asked.

"You don't have to fake modesty. It was obviously you sir." Professor Greg said.

"I'm not faking anything. You're not making sense man." Eddie said, turning to Buck.

"Oh."

"Oh? What do you mean 'oh' Buck?" Eddie asked.

"Hmm. Looks and brains." Chimney's Professor said. "I'm Eileen. Nice to meet you, Mr. Buckley." She shook Buck's hand and tapped Greg's arm.

In that second the alarm rang as Buck and Eddie moved past them to get changed and join in with the others on the rig.

"Lift your jaw Gregory. For God's sake, blondes and women can be smart too. But it would have been just as interesting if it was the other guy." She said.

-

Chimney asked them about the Professors being there as they left to a car stuck in a tree.

Eddie explained they were looking for someone and they were just as surprised as him.

Finally once they were back without guests Eddie left buck's side to go about his duties.

Buck hadn't been forthcoming about what he'd done or why he didn't tell anyone about it.

So that was what he'd done in the second Eddie's back was turned to him in the building.

Buck had looked back as Eddie wasn't following him or calling for him. Not even a little we'll talk later? Nothing?

Finally before dinner Buck found him as he was drinking water.

"Okay. So you're not gonna ask me about that?"

"About what?" Eddie played coy.

"About that professor or what they talked about."

"Oh, about that. I figured you'd talk when you wanted to." Eddie shrugged with a smirk.

Buck squinted. 

"So you want to talk?" Eddie smiled and Buck couldn't help but break into a smile himself.

"How does a guy who gets a headache over helping Christopher with homework solve some fancy equation?" Eddie liked perplexed but also proud if Buck read it right.

"Not all math is the same."

"How so?"

"Back in college, for the short time I was there, my roommate was a tutor. He was real quiet and shy. So I helped him to get into parties and he helped me with my grades. Turns out the way he taught it that was the only thing I remember."

Buck didn't mention how Kyle looked so alive in his explanations or how his eyes looked beautiful in the sunlight of their dorm room.

"College Buck sounds fun. And you're smart Buck. I know I gave you shit about that splint but it was a great idea."

"Really? Uh. Thanks Eddie." Buck looked up to catch Eddie's eyes that were focused on him.

"I don't get why no one talked to you back there but it's their loss." Eddie said patting Buck's shoulder as he started towards the smell of Bobby's food. "Come on, he's probably done." 

Truth be told Eddie had mixed feelings about it. Buck was a catch, someone not seeing that didn't deserve him. 

-

"I'm telling you. She straight on looked me in the eyes and said she thought Buck was taken. I said what gave you that idea? And she goes, the guy next to him." Chimney told Hen as they sat waiting for the late lunch.

Hen made a face and laughed.

"If he ever made a move." 

"But I think that's why no one tried to give Buck their number."

"So that's why I lost ten bucks?" Hen said while handing it over.

"Hey Eddie? Why did they come earlier, did they say something?" Chimney asked as they walked towards the table to join them.

"You wanna tell them Buck?" Eddie looked to him first.

"Yeah. They just wanted to say thanks again. Nothing to worry about." Buck shook his head.

"Oh. They did?" Hen said while looking suspicious for a second.

Buck bit his lip for a second.

Eddie nodded to encourage Buck in telling them though.

"No." Buck uttered out.

Bobby finally joined them while starting to hand out plates.

They sat with their food as the others looked expectantly at Buck to hear him out.

"They came-" Eddie began.

"Because they thought I was smart?" Buck said.

"You're smart Buck." Hen said.

"One of the professors had some math problem on the board. It was supposed to be hard. Buck solved it." Eddie said proudly.

"You did?" Chim smiled confused at hearing that.

"What did they really say?" Bobby asked next.

Eddie nudged Buck on.

"That the student that could answer that question would get a recommendation letter and extra credit. But I only knew it because I had a cool roommate." 

"Hey don't sell yourself short bud. But you're not leaving us to try college again, right?" Chimney asked.

"Nope. We can't all be Hen." Buck grinned. "Let's eat."

"Can't argue with that." Chim said as they dug in.

Later once they were done and only Eddie was with Buck washing the dishes he'd thank him. 

"Nah. It's what friends do."

"I didn't think they'd believe it. Or for them to expect me to be smarter than I really am."

"Buck without college still helps come up with crazy ideas to save people. I didn't do college." Eddie said, handing over a dish.

"And you're still as wise and badass as any scholar-?"

"Let's leave that to Albert. But thanks Buck. I getcha." Eddie cracked a smile and laughed with Buck as they finished.

  
  
  
  



End file.
